Afermarket Back Window "Orange Glow" IR Tint?

[MarkS22]

I have an early Model 3 LR (from January) and a new Performance 3. The original has the full IR reflection on the rear window, which gives a cool orange glow to water droplets. The Performance 3 only has an orange glow on the top window. Now, I understand the new rear window has similar protection but production changes don't have the same orange glow effect when wet.

Is anyone aware of an aftermarket window coating/tint that creates the same orange glow (likely due to the IR rejection)? I really liked the matching look of the top and back glass.

Let me be clear that I understand this is a minor cosmetic thing, but if it can be done relatively easily, I might be interested.

 

[m3guy]

I read somewhere that Tesla does not recommends tinting rear window / roofglass section with IR / UV film. There are reports that it might cause cracks on roof.

I am not sure if that happens with cosmetic only color tint though...

 

[m3guy]

Additionally, tint should change its color under cold conditions only. If window film does not have that property you will see it constantly even if weather is hot.

 

[Ruben010101]

I hope Tesla will give us an answer to this red/orange tint on the glass roof.
I would love to have my rear glass roof with orange tint.

 

[Chaserr]

Tesla's red/orange isn't tint, it's a mirror layered inside the glass that only reflects invisible light. When the reflected light is slowed down by moisture it creeps into the visible spectrum which is why you can see it when you wash the car or in the rain. I don't know if there is a tint that can duplicate the infrared mirror properties.

 

[MarkS22]

Tesla's red/orange isn't tint, it's a mirror layered inside the glass that only reflects invisible light. When the reflected light is slowed down by moisture it creeps into the visible spectrum which is why you can see it when you wash the car or in the rain. I don't know if there is a tint that can duplicate the infrared mirror properties.

Yeah, it seems to me there's nothing stopping it from a physics standpoint, but I haven't seen an option.

On a side note, there's only one part number for "PANORAMIC BACKLIT GLASS ASSEMBLY - M3" so the original IR rejection version was definitely phased out.

 

[Chaserr]

There only ever was one part number. It wasn't 2 parts with one having the IR and another not, it is different suppliers creating that part using different heat rejection methods. Tesla probably specified "stop X amount of infrared light" and not "use Y treatment" so one of their manufacturers went with a less colorful solution, and it was probably a new supplier hired to handle the increased production needs based on the previous cars having that same IR mirror.

If you want to swap for the mirrored window the only way I can think of to guarantee it is to find the manufacturer stamp of each and source one from the supplier that uses your preferred method of IR blocking.

 

[Glamisduner]

I read somewhere that Tesla does not recommends tinting rear window / roofglass section with IR / UV film. There are reports that it might cause cracks on roof.

I am not sure if that happens with cosmetic only color tint though...

Can you find the link to this? I don't understand why tint would cause cracks?

 

[ThatMrFry]

I have an early Model 3 LR (from January) and a new Performance 3. The original has the full IR reflection on the rear window, which gives a cool orange glow to water droplets. The Performance 3 only has an orange glow on the top window. Now, I understand the new rear window has similar protection but production changes don't have the same orange glow effect when wet.

Is anyone aware of an aftermarket window coating/tint that creates the same orange glow (likely due to the IR rejection)? I really liked the matching look of the top and back glass.

Let me be clear that I understand this is a minor cosmetic thing, but if it can be done relatively easily, I might be interested.

The film you are looking for is 3M Crystalline. But, because the film will be installed on the inside surface, the effect will be obscured by the shaded portion of the glass on the top half of the window, so you'll really only get the effect on the bottom half of the glass.

 

[Musterion]

@MarkS22
It might be easier for you to move out of NJ so you never see rain again.

 

[ThatMrFry]

Can you find the link to this? I don't understand why tint would cause cracks?

High IR rejecting films can cause the glass to absorb some of the heat that is being rejected by the film. Normally this isn't a problem because most cars use tempered glass which isn't affected by heat absorption. But the roof and back windows on Teslas use laminated glass, which is two layers of glass sandwiched together. If one of those layers absorbs much more heat than the other the heat can cause it to expand more than the other, causing the cooler layer to crack. Having said all of that, I've been installing film on Teslas since the Model S came out and I have never seen or even heard of this occurring on a Tesla (or any other car for that matter.)

 

[Glamisduner]

High IR rejecting films can cause the glass to absorb some of the heat that is being rejected by the film. Normally this isn't a problem because most cars use tempered glass which isn't affected by heat absorption. But the roof and back windows on Teslas use laminated glass, which is two layers of glass sandwiched together. If one of those layers absorbs much more heat than the other the heat can cause it to expand more than the other, causing the cooler layer to crack. Having said all of that, I've been installing film on Teslas since the Model S came out and I have never seen or even heard of this occurring on a Tesla (or any other car for that matter.)

Interesting concept, I would think the outer layer would always be hotter than the inside layer, even on a non tinted windows though.

 

[ThatMrFry]

Interesting concept, I would think the outer layer would always be hotter than the inside layer, even on a non tinted windows though.

On non-tinted windows that's generally true. When you apply window tint, it can cause the inner layer of glass to heat too quickly or too dramatically.

Have you ever seen someone try to defrost their windshield by pouring hot water on it? Same idea.

 

[ThatMrFry]

On non-tinted windows that's generally true. When you apply window tint, it can cause the inner layer of glass to heat too quickly or too dramatically.

Have you ever seen someone try to defrost their windshield by pouring hot water on it? Same idea.

Conversely, it's also why you can break your windshield by pouring cold water on it on a hot summer day. But I want to stress, I've never actually seen window tint cause a car window to break, and I've been tinting windows for almost 13 years. I've seen it happen on glass in a building, but never a vehicle.